The Scotch Thread

[Seven6Two]

You would be the perfect candidate for the Dalmore Cigar Malt Limited Reserve I have. Dalmore used to run a regular cigar malt, they stopped and now just recently released a limited at about $120 a bottle (used to be $45 a bottle, so they damn well better have changed something!). It's one of the few in my collection I haven't tasted yet (due one bottle after my Macallan 1824 Select Oak) but I expect a very heavy, thick, honey weighted on the tongue but fruitier to counterbalance the smokiness of, well, a cigar!

Hmmm, I may just try and locate a bottle. Here's hoping they improved up what I'm sure is already a superb scotch (goings from $45 to $120 a bottle). Big fan of heavy honey flavor... add that taste of heather in there and I'm in heaven. Exactly what I like when having a cigar with my dram.

Truth. The mouthfeel and texture is one of the most important aspects of a quality scotch for me, and I still haven't found that matched for the price in anything but my Glenmorangie Lasanta....like drinking butterscotch, AMAZING. Like he said though, fine scotch is like fine wine, it's all about the palate. Find what YOU enjoy; I've had plenty of top ranked wines or scotches I hate because I wasn't looking for the flavors and textures that the taster was.

That's what makes scotch so great. Just like wine, there is such a variety of different styles and flavors. You can be drinking scotch for years and come across something completely new to you. Not only that, but the further you expose your palette to it, the more you will pick up. I remember after drinking scotch for a couple years, I went back to some of the scotches I first started out with and it was like drinking it for the very first time in that there was a whole new level of flavor that I was able to pick up the second time around that I was unable to taste the first time.

[Porteroso]

Seriously myron collection. Here's what mine's grown to, scotch on the left, regular liquor on the right.

[jailonacs99]

^^^ can't rep Seven6two enough, have to wait till recharge.

It's amazing how many "quality" scotches I've had that have utterly disappointed me. TBH, the Balvenie 21 YO is one of them, part of the reason it's still in my decanter. On the other hand, I was extremely stoke to taste the 12 YO Glendronach because of the reversed aging (aged in sherry casks but finished in oak casts....who does that??).

This is what scotch means to me...every malt is different. Even the bottlings can be different (especially with Balvenie and Glenrothes, they really push the year of bottling), and it never ceases to amaze me that a liquor that was put into a barrel when I was a scrub or not even born yet is just now being enjoyed. Same reason I love fine watches.

[jailonacs99]

Seriously myron collection. Here's what mine's grown to, scotch on the left, regular liquor on the right.
\

Still some good scotches though. Starting from the far left I see Macallan, Oban 14, Laphroaig, and Balvenie, thought I don't know what's there in front of the Balvenie. A couple of JW's, Red and Black, quintessential.

[Porteroso]

It's Ardbeg 10, Laphroaig 10, Talisker, Lagavulin 16, Oban 14, JW Black Red Gold, Macallan Cask, Glenmorangie Original, Jameson, J&B, Aberlour Abunadh, and the Mount Gay XO is great too. Next will be Uigedail I think, Laphroaig Quarter Cask, then I dunno. I've spent way too much already so maybe I need to stop here.

[Auser]

Wow I've been neglecting you guys hardcore recently

I've been working and playing starcraft pretty obsessively, since I'm not allowed to drink my Brora until I hit masters in starcraft. I'm gonna stop being a bum though and try and start on the Alligator review finally.

[Keevo]

Been lurking this thread for a while.. figured I'd finally say 'hi'. I bought Highland Park 12 yr a while back which is almost empty and since have gotten Glenmorangie original and just bought Talisker Saturday night. I've had quite a few different types over the summer and want to start getting a collection going. Think I might refill my stock of Highland Park.. easily one of my top 3. Talisker is delicious too.. I'll probably be stuck on this one for a while.. guess I'm a sucker for the islands!

[WarWithWeakness]

Got myself some Laphroaig 10.

Drinking with a little water, so freaking good.

So smooth, and that aftertaste...

[vik_man]

aus brahs where is the best place to source foreign whiskies?

really want to get some Amrut Fusion

[Seven6Two]

Got myself some Laphroaig 10.

Drinking with a little water, so freaking good.

So smooth, and that aftertaste...

Try it straight.

[Keevo]

Laphroig is a little too peaty for me.

Speaking of water or straight, is there a general rule of thumb that says when to ice or water or keep it neat? One of my friends is vehemently against throwing anything in the scotch at anytime, but during the tasting I went to a month ago, I put a couple drops of water in some samples (cant remember which brands :/ ) but it definately made a difference..

[Seven6Two]

Laphroig is a little too peaty for me.

Speaking of water or straight, is there a general rule of thumb that says when to ice or water or keep it neat? One of my friends is vehemently against throwing anything in the scotch at anytime, but during the tasting I went to a month ago, I put a couple drops of water in some samples (cant remember which brands :/ ) but it definately made a difference..

some scotches (imo blended and not single malts) benefit from a teaspoon MAX of water. It can help them open up a bit allowing you to pick up some more flavor while at the same time remove some of the medicinal taste from the scotch. I personally don't enjoy water in my scotch. With the said benefits above, imo it also ruins the texture and the finish.

[brahnnosaurusrex]

had a mild thing of insomnia last night and at about 4 am after lying in bed for several hours i got mad and hit up my scotch shelf, grabbed my cheapest bottle and took a few pulls from it

fell asleep like a baby after lol

[Seven6Two]

had a mild thing of insomnia last night and at about 4 am after lying in bed for several hours i got mad and hit up my scotch shelf, grabbed my cheapest bottle and took a few pulls from it

fell asleep like a baby after lol

I lol'd.

[Shane-0-Mac]

Some pics of my scotch collection:

and a few others. Mostly Highlands and Speyside; I'm not a huge fan of the peatiness in Islays. I always buy at least two bottles, one to sample and savor, the other to hold on to for at least a little while. Still working on the Balvenie 21 YO sitting in my decanter, always have a bottle of Glenmorangie Lasanta open as that's my go-to favorite.

After seeing your collection i went and got my self a bottle of Glenmorangie Lasanta. Thank you very much

[JimmyVee]

Laphroig is a little too peaty for me.

Speaking of water or straight, is there a general rule of thumb that says when to ice or water or keep it neat? One of my friends is vehemently against throwing anything in the scotch at anytime, but during the tasting I went to a month ago, I put a couple drops of water in some samples (cant remember which brands :/ ) but it definately made a difference..

some scotches (imo blended and not single malts) benefit from a teaspoon MAX of water. It can help them open up a bit allowing you to pick up some more flavor while at the same time remove some of the medicinal taste from the scotch. I personally don't enjoy water in my scotch. With the said benefits above, imo it also ruins the texture and the finish.

I'll go the opposite from 762 here - I don't think that blends handle water very well. They're usually bottled at 40% anyway, so they won't need anything to calm down the alcohol.

I always add water to my single malts to try and eliminate some of the alcohol burn, so that more of the flavor comes through. Trial and error will tell you how much, but the higher the bottling strength, the more water. IMO, younger malts can handle less water than older ones as the younger ones will have a less developed taste and will quickly drown.

At least that's my opinion, which is worth exactly what you paid for it.

[Auser]

aus brahs where is the best place to source foreign whiskies?

really want to get some Amrut Fusion

http://www.theoddwhiskycoy.com.au/

Is pretty good for a lot of indie whiskies but doesnt have fusion in right now though. If you want that the going rate is $125 take your pick from

http://www.nicks.com.au/Product/View...(700ml)/482952

http://www.singlemalt.com.au/store/p...s95f0840ksoff0

had a mild thing of insomnia last night and at about 4 am after lying in bed for several hours i got mad and hit up my scotch shelf, grabbed my cheapest bottle and took a few pulls from it

fell asleep like a baby after lol

Ha. I do this a lot when its cold in the morning (melbourne lol) or if i super can't be ****ed with work

[Auser]

Ardbeg Alligator

So today we are going to look at none other than Ardbeg Alligator

Well after a long hiatus, Im glad to be reviewing a red hot whisky of the moment that has spilt the whisky community in two. In one camp we have the Ardbeg loyalists, the blind fans that just love their Ardbeg no matter how it comes. On the other side we have those shaking their heads at the guys dropping another $200 blindly on some young whisky based entirely on its name.

So which camp am I in? A little from column A and a little from column B. I love Ardbeg and make no attempt to hide that, but I am a relentless quality hound. I make the argument that this is what made me such an Ardbeg fan in the first place, with the absolutely mind blowing releases they have made such as Corryvreckan and Uigeadail. Arbeg by releasing such amazing bottlings in the past have won over many fans, but have set themselves some ridiculous standards to keep up with any new bottling they release. The biggest question for me when I bought Alligator was that will Alligator be able to keep up the streak of really strong bottling from Ardbeg, or is it all just a bit of a show to make a quick buck?

Indeed with the release of the Alligator, you would be forgiven for thinking that Ardbeg were acting suspiciously, choosing yet again a name with No Age Statement and heavily diverting attention onto a gimmicky, experimental maturation process with the whole ‘’charring’’ of casks. Not that Im an age snob, I like young whisky and it has a place, but sometimes the pricetag really should be rolled back a bit when realistically you are using some fairly young stuff in your special bottling.

Alligator set me back $200, I was a bit taken aback by the price but my curiosity on whether Ardbeg could keep it up got the better of me and I bought it. So lets have a look at the Alligator in the glass.


Nose

The nose on the Alligator has a very bourbon feel to it, mixed with a very traditional Ardbeg nose. This means lots of vanilla pods, some distant citrus and a very smoky campfire feel to it. Quite a ‘’wet’’ nose, very active and flavourful with lots to say . Not too salty and has a real emphasis on smoke here. Interestingly some grapes and pepper come through, along with that standard, earthy base you come to expect from this style of whisky. I find the nose to be quite inviting and surprisingly creamy with plenty of sugar. The nose is not overly complex but there is so much here to keep you interested without having to scavenger hunt for flavours. Main notes are peat smoke, creamy vanilla and coffee, with peppers, cocoa and charcoal. Add in some dancing citrus and you have a very competent nose.


Taste

A great sizzle of barbeque and smoke dominate the opening and the heavily marketed ‘’bite’’ of this whisky. There is all the elements of support to these flavours though that make for decent complex whisky. So much dark chocolate and coffee runs through with the smoke and sizzle. Its a frying pan of flavours. There’s some great fun to be had here and this is what I like about this whisky. It is a ****load of fun. Creamy vanilla, maple syrup and distant but strong sugars add a fizz and a sparkle to the strong and deep smoke. Sweetness mixed very well with ash and charcoal here. The smoke and seriousness never takes over in the palate. The sumptuous flavour war between light and dark in the mouth does not stop and does not turn one sided. This is why so much Islay whisky is matured in bourbon casks. It’s trying to get to this level of flavour and fun.

I have to admit taste is where Alligator really, really shines. I came into Alligator a little bored and needing something to reignite my passion for whisky, I was a little burnt out. Alligator is so flavoursome and fun it did the job. If you like peated whisky there is nothing to dislike here. It’s a bit young and brash but it means very well and had great intentions.


Finish

The finish is cool and dry, smoky and pleasant. The calm after a storm. It lasts long enough to be a real force, around 15-20 minutes. While the finish here is not as amazing as some other Ardbegs with less complexity and harmony between strong flavours. The finish here kind of backs off slowly rather than adding to the sensations in the taste and developing further, I find this finish a little weak in this respect, it doesn’t really continue the journey laid out in the initial taste, where this whisky it at its strongest, therefore it misses out on a great opportunity to tell a story and really capture you. There’s nothing actively wrong with the finish but it’s a little disappointing I’m not going to lie.


Final Marks

Alligator is a loveable beast. I like how it really takes no prisoners flavour wise, It’s a gutsy and great tasting dram. But it lacks complexity and grace in the palette and in the finish. This is the whiskies main weakness, as without that finesse it can never truly capture your imagination and send your head into a tailspin.

The best whiskies are so good you can’t even explain why and put it into a review, you have to rely on wooly terms such as ‘complex’ because you’re so impressed with the multiple layers of brilliance. Alligator is a little too easy to read and lacks that brilliance. But it has passion, bite and balls and has earned a place in my cabinet for sure.

Was it worth $200? I think just barely. But if you don’t have that money to spend, buy Ardbeg 10 Year old instead and don’t worry about missing this one. It isn’t the best in the world, and you should only sweat missing the best.
It is however pretty damn good!

89/100

[JimmyVee]

Ardbeg AlligatorIndeed with the release of the Alligator, you would be forgiven for thinking that Ardbeg were acting suspiciously, choosing yet again a name with No Age Statement and heavily diverting attention onto a gimmicky, experimental maturation process with the whole ‘’charring’’ of casks. Not that Im an age snob, I like young whisky and it has a place, but sometimes the pricetag really should be rolled back a bit when realistically you are using some fairly young stuff in your special bottling.

Nice review.

I hope that they are successful with this. If the industry can get quality from these unique maturation processes, rather than through age alone, the price should start coming down on these high end whiskies due to the decrease in inventory costs.

I do have to say, $63 for Uigeadail sets a pretty high bar as far as value goes.

[jailonacs99]

Been lurking this thread for a while.. figured I'd finally say 'hi'. I bought Highland Park 12 yr a while back which is almost empty and since have gotten Glenmorangie original and just bought Talisker Saturday night. I've had quite a few different types over the summer and want to start getting a collection going. Think I might refill my stock of Highland Park.. easily one of my top 3. Talisker is delicious too.. I'll probably be stuck on this one for a while.. guess I'm a sucker for the islands!

Try the Glenmorangie Lasanta. The extra finishing in the sherry casks gives it a texture and mouthfeel that I've found unparalleled in anything but perhaps Aberlour 16.

[jailonacs99]

Ardbeg Alligator

So today we are going to look at none other than Ardbeg Alligator

Repped, quality review. The shop I buy most of my scotches from is stocking the new Alligator and selling at wholesale. After reading this I'll pick it up for a tasting, even though I'm not a huge fan of Islays in general.

[moosecakes4all]

Can someone aware me as to why so many "Glen...s" out there?

Enjoying a Jameson for now.

[Seven6Two]

Can someone aware me as to why so many "Glen...s" out there?

Enjoying a Jameson for now.

Scotch whiskey was invented by a great man named Glen Scotch. Many distilleries incorporate his name into their brand name in effort to remember and pay tribute to this wonderful man.

[YouRaffYouRuse]

Tried so many great whiskies yesterday at the TWE Whisky Show, I didn't think to take a notepad which was rather stupid of me! I think next year I'll attend both days of the show, as I almost entirely stuck with the distilleries I know and love. There were so many more I'd planned on trying, but between all the drinking, eating, masterclasses and conversation time got away from me.

Whilst I was trying some Glenfiddichs, me and another guy were discussing the different casks with the guys from Glenfiddich and they got out 3 bottles that were sort of experiments to show the flavours of each cask, New American Oak, Refill American Oak and New Spanish Oak, which was quite interesting. Dave Broom, Eddie Ludlow and Sukhinder Singh all came over to the stand and one of the Fiddich guys pulled out an as yet unreleased whisky for them to try, I was in the right place at the right time and got to enjoy it, it might have just been my slightly inebriated state but it was very nice and I can't wait to get a bottle. Anyway, here is what I can remember either off the top of my head or from some of the lists of what was there.. there were alot of cask strengths as well so it was no easy task.

Auchentoshan 1957 50yo
White Bowmore 1964
Glengoyne 40yo
Glenlivet 1964 Cellar
Glenlivet 1959 Cellar
Highland Park 40yo
Glenfiddich 1974
Highland Park 1964
Highland Park 1968
Highland Park 1970
Highland Park 1971
Highland Park 1976
Bowmore 1966 34yo
Benriach 1968 37yo
Laphroaig 10yo Cask Strength 1st edition
Lochside 1966 32yo
Laphroaig 18
Laphroaig 25
Laphroaig Triple Wood
Glenfiddich 21
Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix
Glenfiddich 19 Age of Discovery
Glenfiddich - the secret one thats coming soon, early next year I believe
Glenlivet 25
Glenlivet 21
Lagavulin Distillers Edition 1994
Bowmore 15 Darkest

My favourites would probably have to be the White Bowmore, Highland Park 1964, Laphroaig 25, Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix and Benriach 1968 37yo.

[Auser]

Repped, quality review. The shop I buy most of my scotches from is stocking the new Alligator and selling at wholesale. After reading this I'll pick it up for a tasting, even though I'm not a huge fan of Islays in general.

Wholesale? Nice. How much does that work out where you are?

Tried so many great whiskies yesterday at the TWE Whisky Show, I didn't think to take a notepad which was rather stupid of me! I think next year I'll attend both days of the show, as I almost entirely stuck with the distilleries I know and love. There were so many more I'd planned on trying, but between all the drinking, eating, masterclasses and conversation time got away from me.

Whilst I was trying some Glenfiddichs, me and another guy were discussing the different casks with the guys from Glenfiddich and they got out 3 bottles that were sort of experiments to show the flavours of each cask, New American Oak, Refill American Oak and New Spanish Oak, which was quite interesting. Dave Broom, Eddie Ludlow and Sukhinder Singh all came over to the stand and one of the Fiddich guys pulled out an as yet unreleased whisky for them to try, I was in the right place at the right time and got to enjoy it, it might have just been my slightly inebriated state but it was very nice and I can't wait to get a bottle. Anyway, here is what I can remember either off the top of my head or from some of the lists of what was there.. there were alot of cask strengths as well so it was no easy task.

Auchentoshan 1957 50yo
White Bowmore 1964
Glengoyne 40yo
Glenlivet 1964 Cellar
Glenlivet 1959 Cellar
Highland Park 40yo
Glenfiddich 1974
Highland Park 1964
Highland Park 1968
Highland Park 1970
Highland Park 1971
Highland Park 1976
Bowmore 1966 34yo
Benriach 1968 37yo
Laphroaig 10yo Cask Strength 1st edition
Lochside 1966 32yo
Laphroaig 18
Laphroaig 25
Laphroaig Triple Wood
Glenfiddich 21
Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix
Glenfiddich 19 Age of Discovery
Glenfiddich - the secret one thats coming soon, early next year I believe
Glenlivet 25
Glenlivet 21
Lagavulin Distillers Edition 1994
Bowmore 15 Darkest

My favourites would probably have to be the White Bowmore, Highland Park 1964, Laphroaig 25, Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix and Benriach 1968 37yo.

It's **** like this that makes me wanna be back in the UK!

[Lucretius]

Yeah, I'm in WA state, there is not much for scotch selection here, my favorite would have to be the JW Green. I got Blue as a graduation present but I preferred the green, and it was $100+ dollars less. Never even heard of some of these scotches, I'll have to travel to Europe soon...

[Tru_Knyte]

This thread is starting to make me sad, no money to drink atm

[JimmyVee]

Can someone aware me as to why so many "Glen...s" out there?

Enjoying a Jameson for now.

Glen means "river" or "valley" in Scotland. Distilleries use a lot of water so many are built on riversides, so they name themselves after the river they are built on - Glen Livet (River Livit).

[brahnnosaurusrex]

Seriously myron collection. Here's what mine's grown to, scotch on the left, regular liquor on the right.

in a closet?!

pm me paypal info ill buy you a shelf from ikea

[Porteroso]

in a closet?!

pm me paypal info ill buy you a shelf from ikea

Lol really?

I finally got Laphroaig Quarter Cask.... It is good, and happens to cost $50 where I am, as opposed to $45 for regular 10 year, so I'll get to always have both. It seems smoother, and the alcohol is slightly more prominent, but one thing I ended up falling in love with with the 10 year was the heavy malt taste, and I feel like the Quarter Cask trades some of that for smoothness. I can't complain, and it's definitely a higher quality whisky, but every day? If I had to choose between the 2, I'd have a hard time, especially with virtually no price difference. The 10 year really just sets an incredibly high bar.

Also, I've had HP 18, but finally got a bottle, and of course it did not disappoint. I always come away from it wanting something more, but not because of a fault in the whisky, I think I just need to learn to appreciate the "lighter" whiskies more. It's as close to a perfect eating companion as I've tasted, BBQ + HP 18 = Awesomeness.

Also picked up another few 1.75s of JW Black and Sailor, and it seems the Black Label now has a new box, kindof nifty looking. Anways in the next few days I'm going to be going through this thread and making an index of all the great reviews you guys have posted, mostly so I can get to the reviews quickly on my phone at the liquor store.